Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32501277›Full record

SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2020

The Effectiveness of Digital Health Interventions in the Management of Musculoskeletal Conditions: Systematic Literature Review.

Stephanie Hewitt, Ruth Sephton, Gillian Yeowell

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 84 papers, 16 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
84citing papers in PubMed, 16 pooled it
12.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

84 citing papers in PubMed, 16 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 134 citations in OpenAlex.

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24 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Stephanie Hewitt *St Helens Therapy Department, North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Merseyside, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-5837-5591
Ruth Sephton *St Helens Therapy Department, North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Merseyside, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-6958-6669
Gillian Yeowell *Department of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3872-9799
North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust · GBManchester Metropolitan University · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMusculoskeletal conditions are the second greatest contributor to disability worldwide and have significant individual, societal, and economic implications. Due to the growing burden of musculoskeletal disability, an integrated and strategic response is urgently required. Digital health interventions provide high-reach, low-cost, readily accessible, and scalable interventions for large patient populations that address time and resource constraints.

objectiveThis review aimed to investigate if digital health interventions are effective in reducing pain and functional disability in patients with musculoskeletal conditions.

methodsA systematic review was undertaken to address the research objective. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews before commencement of the study. The following databases were searched: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Scopus from January 1, 2000, to November 15, 2019, using search terms and database specific-medical subject headings terms in various combinations appropriate to the research objective.

resultsA total of 19 English language studies were eligible for inclusion. Of the 19 studies that assessed musculoskeletal pain, 9 reported statistically significant reductions following digital intervention. In all, 16 studies investigated functional disability; 10 studies showed a statistically significant improvement. Significant improvements were also found in a range of additional outcomes. Due to the heterogeneity of the results, a meta-analysis was not feasible.

conclusionsThis review has demonstrated that digital health interventions have some clinical benefits in the management of musculoskeletal conditions for pain and functional disability. Digital health interventions have the potential to contribute positively toward reducing the multifaceted burden of musculoskeletal conditions to the individual, economy, and society.

trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42018093343; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=93343.

Indexed as

FemaleHumansInternet-Based InterventionMaleMusculoskeletal DiseasesTelemedicinehealth communicationmobile phonemusculoskeletal painonline interventionphysical functional performanceweb-based intervention

Identifiers

PMID32501277
PMCPMC7305565
OpenAlexW3033133316

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.